Health and Wellness Today

Don't ignore this article. This is very alarming. Read after the jump.

A few months ago, there was an uproar in the United States over the presence of the Salmonella typhi bacteria, in some peanut butter products. Predictably, the news caused a ripple in the Philippines as some of the brands found to have bacteria are being sold in the local market. The issue however died down quickly after it was established that the batch of manufactured products contaminated with the bacteria are not widely available in the country.

Well, that was before the Bureau of Food and Drugs found salmonella in peanut butter brand Yummy just recently.

With this recent development, parents are again worried. What’s Salmonella and what can it do to people who ingest contaminated products? According to Dr. Shirley J.B. Pascual-Ong, a pediatrician at the Makati Medical Center and at the Asian Hospital, Salmonella is actually quite common in the Philippines with it being a tropical disease. In fact, we are constantly exposed to this bacteria.

“Salmonella was a big thing in the United States because they are not very familiar with the disease, which they classify as a tropical disease. Their citizens are not quite acquainted with it, whereas here in the Philippine setting, we encounter this salmonella strain quite often.”

One of the reasons why it is common is the proliferation of street foods, which do not follow any safety standards. You just cannot be sure whether the vendor is a carrier of the bacteria.

“Salmonella is easily transmitted through the fecal-oral route. Food and water may be contaminated by human waste or bowel. Bacteria can then be present in food that is not properly prepared, or one that is cooked by a person who already has the disease. A chronic carrier is a person who has been tested and treated, then gumaling, but the condition persisted for more than three months,” explains Ong.

Flies can also bring the bacteria with them as they land on your food or utensils. Eggs can also be contaminated if the chicken that laid them is infected.

At high risk

This is quite alarming because these bacteria were found to be in a kiddie baon fave— peanut butter. But parents must remember that Salmonella cannot be gotten from peanut butter alone. Kids can likewise get the germs by handling dirty things or playing in unclean surroundings. If they put their hands in their mouth after playing with soil or toys that has traces of fecal matter from an infected person or animal, they are going to get those microbes into their systems.

It is however far scarier for infants as they are still developing their immune systems. Infants can succumb to sepsis if they contract Salmonella. Older people, whose immune systems are compromised by diseases such as cancer are also more susceptible and more at risk.

The rule of thumb, then, is to watch what you put into your mouth, and to cook your food properly. Says Ong, “Do not think that just because your food has already reached the boiling point or the meat already looks done, it is already safe to eat. There is a specific temperature where you are sure that the bacteria have already been killed.” She adds that you have to be careful even with processed food, as what consumers have now learned. “That is because hindi mo naman alam yung pinagdaanan nung product You don’t know how it was prepared and packed or how clean its ingredients are.”

Symptoms and safety shots

The thing with these bacteria, the symptoms are very common and could even be mistaken for another illness. “It initially manifests as fever and vomiting, with enteritis or diarrhea,” says Ong. So a lot of parents may overlook Salmonella as the problem. That is until the condition becomes prolonged.

“With other types of diarrhea, the condition improves within three to four days, but with Salmonella, it persists for more than seven days. If left untreated, complications may develop including hemorrhage, and perforations in the intestines. The bacteria may even travel to other parts of the body such as the heart or the joints. You can see these complications after the 7th day.”

She advises parents to bring their children for a checkup after observing high-grade fever for 2-3 days, accompanied by a tummy ache, diarrhea and vomiting.
“If your child has fever and diarrhea, give them first aid such as fever medicine and keep him or her hydrated. If you suspect salmonella, bring your child to the doctor.”

The good news is that since this disease is quite widespread in the country, the vaccine is readily available. “There is a vaccine against typhoid that can be given through injections or through oral preparations. Even adults can - and should - be vaccinated as protection against this common disease.”

Coupled with this is the importance of teaching your kids proper hygiene such as frequent hand washing and as much as they can, not buying street food outside their schools.


Source article: The lowdown on Salmonella typhi and how you can keep your child from getting infected